Film-tensioning device.



S. M COFFMAN.

FILM TENSIONING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1915.

1,227,039.. Patented May 22, 1917.

@M M. fiiizw A TTOR/VEY,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL M. COFFMAN, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO PHOTO MOTION COMPANY, .A. CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

FILM-TENSIONING DEVICE.

Application filed July 19, 1915.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. COFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, 211 the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filmlensioning Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to film tensioning devices for motion picture machines, and one object is to provide a simple device of this character whereby the tension necesa two broken ends ofsaid film.

Other objects of the invention will hereinafter appear, and in order that said invention may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the tensioning device.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on line 11-11 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on line III- H1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4C is a detail elevation of a pivoted plate and a plurality of shoes associated therewith.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on line VV of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6- is a section, enlarged on line VI-VI of Fig. 1.

mally held against the face of the plate 1 Patented May 22, 1917.

Serial No. 40,701.

by a latch 6, slidable in a slot 7 in the upper portion of said pivoted plate 1. Latch (i has a handle 8 at one end and a hook 9 at its opposite end, which latter extends into a hole 10 in the plate 1 and by engaging the margin of said hole reliably holds the pivoted plate 1 in closed position. The hook 9 of the latch is normally held in engagement with the margin of' the hole 10 by a spring 11, one end of which engages a notched portion 12 of the latch, while its opposite end bears against a shoulder 18 in the pivoted plate 1. The pivoted plate 1 has an aperture 11 which registerswith the aperture 3 when said pivoted plate 45 is in closed position.

15 designates two pairs of shoes arranged in two parallel grooves 16 extending longitudinally of the inner surface of the pivoted plate 1 and above and below the aperture 1%. Each shoe is fixedly mounted independently of the other upon a pin 17, extending through a flaring hole 18 in the pivoted plate 1 and engaging one end of a presser frame 19.

Said presser frame 19 consists of two parallel bars 20 united midway between their ends by a spindle 21. .The ends of each bar 20 are split as indicated at 22 to yieldingly grasp the reduced portion 23 of the pins 17, so that the same may have limited independent movement in the holes 18 and thus permit the shoes 15 to yieldingly engage the film A, as it travels between the plates 1 and 1.

The shoes 15 are held in engagement with the adjacent surface of the film A through the intermediacy of a lever 24, fulerumed at 25 and bearing at one end upon the spindle 21. The opposite end of the lever 24 has a threaded hole for the reception of a thumb screw 26, which bears at its inner end upona coil spring 27, set in a recess 28 in the front side of the pivoted plate 4.

In practice the pivoted plate 4 is swung to open position to admit the film A and then closed and secured by the latch 6. The necessary tension to insure'steady pressure on the film is then had by proper adjustment of the thumb screw 25. As the film travels past the apertures 3 and 14, it is reliably but yieldingly retained in place by the shoes 15, which having limited independent movement, exert uniform pressure upon said film. The manner ofmounting the shoes 15 also permits the same to respond to two thicknesses of film, hence a broken film that has been repaired by having its ends pasted together can readily pass by said shoes without damage to its surface.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that I have produced a simple and etlicient tensioning device, and while I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, I reserve the right to make such changes in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A film tensioning device consisting of a fixed aperture plate, a movable aperture plate adjacent said fixed aperture plate, shoes located between said aperture plates to coact with the fixed aperture plate in retaining a film in position during its passage past. the last-mentioned plate, a presser frame mounting said shoes, a lever for exerting pressure on said presser frame, and means for adjusting said lever to cause it to exert more or less pressure on said presser frame.

2. A film tensioning device consisting of a fixed aperture plate, a movable aperture plate adjacent said fixed aperture plate, shoes located between said aperture plates to coact with the fixed aperture plate in retaining a film in position during its passage past the last-mentioned plate, a presser frame mounting said shoes, a lever for exerting pressure on said presser frame, a screw for adjusting said lever to cause it to exert more or less pressure on said prcsser "frame, and a resilient abutment against which said screw bears.

3. In a device of the character described, a presser frame consisting of two parallel bars, and a spindle connecting said bars intermediate itheir ends; and shoes loosely connected to the ends of said parallel bars.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL M. COFFBLXN.

Witnesses FRED C. FISCHER, L. J. FISCHER. 

